Community battling new strain of COVID
The Humboldt County Memorial Hospital Ambulance Service is busier than ever, annually answering more than 1,000 calls. The service is always looking for people willing to serve as drivers, EMTs and paramedics. Sign up at www.humboldthospital.org.
By KENT THOMPSON
The BA.5 subvariant of Omicron COVID-19 is sweeping the country and Humboldt County is no exception.
As of July 21, Humboldt County had 29 active cases in the previous 10 days, Humboldt County Memorial Hospital (HCMH) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michelle Sleiter reported at the Hospital Board of Trustee’s meeting on Thursday, July 21. “We have also had two local hospitalizations with the disease,” Sleiter said. According to iowacoviddata.com, 1.7 cases per 1,000 residents have been reported in the county during the past week.
“We have had 2,896 confirmed cases of COVID since the pandemic started. Iowa has been on the rise and we are no exception. We have been testing about 60-70 patients per week. Of that number, 14 were positive (last week),” Sleiter said.
“Of course, that doesn’t include people who are self-testing and not reporting,” Sleiter said.
Read more hospital news in this week's Humboldt Independent, your trusted source for local news and sports.
